How to Catch a Pig: Lots of Cool Stuff Guys Used to Know but Forgot About the Great Outdoors

by Denis Boyles

Way back before man abandoned the woods for the cities—and traded his hunting rifle for a BlackBerry—he had to know how to do certain things to survive. He had to trap and build and grow things, using his calloused hands and valuable knowledge passed down through the generations. For most men today, these once-cherished skills are as dead as the dodo. But take heart! Now guys can reconnect with those less-complicated times, rediscover how to embrace adventure, and appreciate the outdoor life. Denis Boyles, principal author of A Man's Life , has culled a wealth of essential, nearly lost manly endeavors from U.S. government pamphlets, century-old publications, and ancient scouting manuals to help reeducate us in the fine macho arts And much, much, much more—including, of course, how to catch a pig!

Genres: Nonfiction, Survival

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

Reviews

[ryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

recreates the vintage language and tone; often pleasantly, though occasionally to its detriment. did not need twenty pages on how to construct a fishing rod. could have used more diagrams, particularly where they were referenced but not present.

[Yisrael Dubov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a "How to" book at all!

The book claims to teach how to do various outdoor activities, but then proceeds to give very little instruction when doing so. It's like saying "here's how to start a fire with sticks: take a stick and make a fire". Yes, I may be exaggerating a bit, but not by much, I assure you. It really is that uninformative.

Is there one or two ideas expressed well in this book? Sure. But there are also better books out there with far better value on the subject(s)

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd little book. The compiler freely admits, this is not his material; he has collected it from various sources. This is a collection of "old-time" wisdom about camping, roughing it, and living outdoors. Sometimes it comes across ridiculously dated, humorously so, but mostly, it is full of good common-sense survivalism. There's a lot to be learned here, and if I were stuck in the woods, I'd feel safer and better prepared for having read this book.

[Sean Hendricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see what they were trying to do, but it didn't work as well as I had hoped. Repetitive entries, longer-than-necessary sections, and a lack of accompanying diagrams made it less than valuable as a resource.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone that enjoys the outdoors should read this book. You will learn a few things or at least have some new things to try out